Wire-fence-fastening means.



C. A. RlCEp WIRE FENCE FASTENING MEANS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21 1915- Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

CYRUS A. RICE, 0F KINGS ILLINOIS.

WIRE-FENCE-FASTENING MEANS.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

Application filed June 21, 1915. Serial No. 3, 5, 3,08

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CYRUS A. Bron, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kings, in the county of Ogle and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lVire-Fence-Fastening Means, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in general to fence posts and has more particular reference to means for connecting wire fences thereto.

One of the primary objects of my invention is to provide an improved means of simple, cheap and durable construction, for detachably connecting wire fences to posts, and to so construct said fastening means that they may be employed equally well without change in structure to secure wire fences to various types of posts, such for instance as square, round or other shaped concrete or wooden posts.

Other and more specific objects of my invention are to provide a channel shaped member adapted to be secured to a post to receive interlocking fence wire engaging key-staples and keepers therefor, to provide key-staples of novel construction for the purpose of easily and readily securing a wire fence to a post and for providing adjustment so as to avoid spurs on the wire,

'and to provide for locking the staple keepers in position.

My invention, its mode and principle of operation will become better understood by reference to the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a wire fence connected to a square concrete post by my'improved means of attachment; Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional View through the upper end of the post taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged face view of the upper end of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view through the post taken on the line 4- 1 of Fig. 3; Figs. 5 and 6 are views in perspective of key-staples used in attaching a wire fence to a post; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary face view of a post showing my improved fastening means secured to a round wooden post and showing one of the key-staples in an adjusted position; and Fig. 8 is a cross sectional View through the latter post taken on the line 88 of Fig. 7

My improvements consist in general of a post-connected member having a plurality of vertically spaced openings through which I vided in the present instance is in the form of a channel member designated ingeneral by reference character 8,, of which the flange portions 9 are flared outwardly and the web portion 10 is provided with a plurality of spaced openings 12, preferably shaped with the upper portions thereof semi-circular and the lower portions right-angular, as shown clearly in Figs. 3 and 7, for the purpose of so accommodating the key staples as to permit the use of comparatively narrow channel members. The channel members may be secured to posts of different types by suitable means of attachment. In the case of wooden posts either square or round cross-sectionally, the channel members may be provided with suitable holes and secured by nails 10 to the post, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. hen it is desired to attach a channel member to a concrete post, during the construction thereof, a channeled strip of sheet metal 13 shaped to fittingly receive the flanges of the channel member 8 in dovetailed fashion is embedded in the face of the post in the manner shown in Fig. 4. In this position the face of the channel member is flush with the face of the post and said member is held against being displaced outwardly. If desired, other suitable means of attachment may be provided for securing the channel members to posts. The channel member may be of a length suitable to the post to which it is attached and the kind of wire fence to be mounted, the openings 12 being suitably spaced apart in accordance with the spacings of the wires of the fence.

The'key-staples designated in general by reference character 141, adapted to engage the wires of a fence project through the openings 12 and interlock with a single keeper so as to securely attach a wire fence to a post and are of such construction that may be very easily applied,- removed, and adj usted to different positions as will be described later. Eaeh key-staple is formed of a single length of wire bent U-shaped to form a loop 15 and having its arm portions.

bent U-shaped in planes at right angles to that of the portion 15 to form loops 16, and thence bent in the same planes and intermediate the loops 15 and 16 to form arms 17 In attaching a wire fence to a post, a staple is engaged with the top wire of the fence so that the wire is disposed in the loops 16, and the arms 17 passed through the top opening 12 and moved downwardly until the portions 18 abut against the lower edge of the opening, so that the outer end or loop portion 15 of the staple may be swung through the opening on the portion 18 as a fulcrum, thereby bringing the said fence wire into abutting relation with the face of the channel member. A rod or keeper 19 is then inserted in the top end of the channel and passed downwardly through the loop 15, looking the key-staple against being withdrawn from the channel member. It will be apparent that starting from the top wire of the fence, each succeeding lower wire may be secured to the post in the manner above described, the rod 19 being passed in succession through all the inner loops of the staples. l/Vhen all of the staples have been thus locked, the top hooked end 21 of the locking rod 19 which is normally open so as to pass below the upper end of the channel member, may be closed, that is, forced into the top opening 12 as shown in Fig. 2, thereby preventing the locking rod from being withdrawn. When desired, the said end may be pried outwardly to permit removal of the rod. By shaping the lower portions of the openings angularly, a smaller opening may be employed than if the openings were round, and consequently, the channel member may be of comparatively small width.

Should a spur on a wire happen to be located opposite an opening 12, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, so as to interfere with the looped portion 16 of the staple, the staple may be adjusted to avoid the spur. Instead of engaging the wire in the loop 16, the wire is engaged in the loop 15 and the looped portions 16 passed through the opening 12 in the manner shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Thus, the outer or wire-engaging loop means may be disposed at one side of the center of the opening to avoid a spur, and the rod 19 passed through the inner loop for locking the key-staple in position, It will be obvious that the key-staple may be also adj usted to position its loop 15 in the opposite side of the opening 12.

Referring to .Fig. 6, I have shown a modified form of key-staple, comprising a loop 15 and loops 16 as in the staple shown in Fig. 5, but having its ends joined to form loop 22 in vertical alinement with theloop 15. The use of this key-staple is similar to the one above described, with the exception that it may be applied in only one way, viz., by engaging a wire of a fence in the loops 16 and inserting the looped portions 15 and 22 through an opening 12 into the channel so that the keeper 19 may be passed through both the latter loops.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that my improved means of attachment may be employed for detachably securing wire fences to posts of various types; that a wire fence after being stretched may be easily and quickly attached to posts without the use of auxiliary tools for the purpose; that the staples may be adjusted to suit conditions of the wire; and that when attached, the fence is securely locked against being loosened or detached from the post.

I claim:

1. A fence wire fastener comprising a channel member, the sides of which are flared outwardly, fence fastening means extending through the web of the channel member into the channel thereof, means disposed in said channel for locking said fastening means in position, and a second channel member spanning the open side of the first mentioned member and having its flanges engaging with and conforming to the outer sides of the flanges on the first mentioned channel member, the channel members bein set in a concrete post with the face of the first mentioned member disposed flush with the face of the post and adapted to be assembled by inserting the first channel member into the second-channel member and sliding one lengthwise of the other.

2. A fence wire fastener comprising, in combination with a member connected in spaced relation to a post and having a plurality of vertically spaced openings, a plurality of fence fasteners adapted to extend through said openings, each fastener being formed of a single length of wire to provide a pair of loops disposed one at the inner side and the other at the outer side of said post member and having its terminals so shaped that the fastener may be bodily adjusted in its respective opening, that the said terminal portions will engage either the inner or outer side of said post member whereby to reverse the loop portions of the fastener, which loops are adapted to receive in either adjustment of the fastener a wire of a fence disposed at the outer side of the post mem: her, and a locking member disposed at the inner side of said post member.

CYRUS A. RICE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

